2019 Pie Franco, Casa Castillo, Jumilla, Spain

As it happened when I compared the 2016 with the 2017, the only problem with the 2019 Pie Franco was that I tasted it next to the stratospheric 2020. This 2019 comes from the same ungrafted and dry-farmed vines planted in 1942 on a south-facing slope on poor limestone soils covered by gravels. In this vintage, it fermented destemmed in underground pools with indigenous yeasts and matured in 500-liter oak barrels for 16 months.The wine is very Monastrell with the ripeness from the south exposition, with pungent notes of esparto grass and tree bark (vs. the pine needles in the wines from north-facing vineyards), characterful and with some dusty tannins that give it some rusticity. This is lovely and should develop nicely in bottle. 6,800 bottles were filled in March 2021.Drink 2022 - 2032Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate (April 2022)